The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-04
AUGUSTA UNDER WATER.
Scvcn-Eiehts of the City tloodrd--
Transportation by Boats-Great
Damage to Property.
.r,,ec idI to Macs and Courier

forcibly reminds one Of that beautiful
CITY Venice. Almost the entire place Is
one smooth but pretty eXpanSe OF water,
dotted with boats of every description,
from sailing yacht to the smallest ca
noe. Boats drawing five feet Of water
can be carried over three-foui tbs Of th".
city without danger OF running agrouno::
People were piling in boats rell-mcll
from midnight last night til! noon to-
day seeking places Of safety from the
rapid rise of the waters, and then DOatS
were 50 scarce that many had to sleep Ill
the second stories Of their houses. Dams
were built in front OF many yards anu
even before the doors and windows or
piazzas, but these we're quickly oyer-
flowed. Then, those whose houses had
two stories fled to the second, but those
who were not so fortunate We're COM
pelled to mount chairs and beds, awal =,
ing the :ival Of boats. Many tloated
out on hastily constructed RATS. A num-
Der of those who own boats have acted
very badly, charging as much as dol
lar a piece to remove people from their
houses that were rapidly filling. Ot
course poor people had to pay this ex-
tortionate rate as they feared drowning,
and each and every boatman has made
from one to five hundred dollars.
AS predicted III this correspondence,
the river continued to rise throughout
all last night and to-day when, at 2
! O'Clock, it reached its greatest height,
thirty-tive feet. Since then it has been
falling slightly, and at S O'Clock to-nlght
one inch fall is registered.
THE SCENE IN HAMBURG.
Shortly after 2 O'Clock your cores
pondent secured boat and first crossed
the river into Hamburg. In many places
there the water is fully eighteen feet
deep. | noticed water up to the roofs OF
many small houses, and there is not a
house in the entire place that the hrSt
floor is not submerged.
Not only all business has been sus-
pended but the entire population have
moved with their live stock over to
Schultz Hill. Many hogs and COWS
were d.owned, and wagon bodies, tubs,
chairs and all manner OF household
goods may be seen floating around on
the water. None but foot passengers
were allowed to cross the bridge, and
thew were all advised not o make the
attempt.
The South Carolina train was unable
to get nearer than within mile OF the
bridge, four hundred feet Of the liam
burg trrstie having been washed away.
Neither the Charlotte, Columbia anu
Augusta nor the South Carolina trains
went out this morning, as the bridges
were deemed unsafe, but this afternoon
both trains went out after delaying
some hours.
The Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta
trestle is all right at Hamburg, but the
Port Roval trestle leading 10 the bridge
three miles below the city has been en-
tirely washed away, and no trains are
running.
WATER IN THE SECOND STORIES.
then rowed up the river to the east
ern portion of the city. There, near
the bank, the water is running into the
second story OF the houses. Out OF some
four hundred houses in that neighbor-
hood there are now hardly half dozen
inhabited. BateauN were being padded
through the lower floors of many houses,
and the water is from to 20 feet deep.
We then rowed up through Broad-street
| from the Planters hotel 10 the extreme
upper end, and there the water is food
ING all the stores, not one having es-
| cared, and is in the first floor OF many
dwelling houses. We then proceeded
out to Green street above the Enterprlst
factory, which has water all over tile
ground floor, and the stores in the neigh
| borhood are covered. in two instances
over the counters. On account OF the
height Of the canal bank we were COM
pelIed to 90 back and come down Ellis
street, which was flooded as much as
Broad street. On Greene street near
McKinne all persons living on The south
side were compelled to leave their
houses, and we there found the canal
bank to be leaking near the bottom.
| The water in the canal was SIX feet
above that in Greene street and 1t was
feared that it would break in short
time. A messenger was quickly DIS
patched to the superintendent, who IL
a short time arrived and patched it IN
such i manner as to prevent its break
| ing unless another rise occurs tonight.
A CoNTENTED CONGRESSMAN.
Rowing down Greene street we saw
Congressman Barnes sitting on the pi-
azza of his pretty residence completely y
surrounded By water, seeming to enjoy
the change. He hailed me, and when
expressed the opinion that it was rising
and would continue, he said: LET her
rise. 1 will have no difficulty in floating
off, The Congressman evidently did
not believe with me-, for it would take
water more dense than that of the Sa-
vannah River to float $50 pound man.
Turning the corner below his house we
were carried down by the swift current
on Kolloch street to Benz's Hour mills,
which were surrounded, and thence to
G. F. Lombard's iron foundry. There
the dam between the second and third
levels of the canal had broken, and a
perfect torrent was sweeping around
| the foundry, the water being at least
ten feet deep. 1t was expected every
minute that it would be swept away, bd.
has so far been unnjured from all ap-
| pearances.
In that section which is very low
portion of the city, an the houses were
covered over the first floors and were
deserted. Here again all manner OF
household goods were to be seen floating
in the water, and many boats were 50
busy removing people that they had not not
time to pick them up. The water was up
to the Georgia Railroad trestle at the
grain elevator, and cars loaded with coal
were placed upon it to keep it from
floating away, the bridge Immediately
above having foated oil
DUBLIN UNDF R wATLR.
Going down further we found the
greater portion OF Dublin under water.
and there again many houses were vaca-
ted. The water extended all down Walk
er street, past the east boundary, cover
ing the South Commons Park and the
Cemetery. and attending over all the
land between there and the bend in the
river below the city.
REPORTERS CANOE UPSET.
In coming back our boat which was
rowed by two strong men, became un-